Prospect Rizzotti staying at first

The slugger, expected to open the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, won't be a candidate for the opening in right field.

CENTER VALLEY - Everywhere Charlie Manuel goes, one question dogs him, and so it did again Thursday night at De Sales University during the third annual Phillies Winter Banquet.

"Hey Charlie, who's playing right field?"

It's a question that was immediately being asked of the Phillies manager right after Jayson Werth loaded up a Brinks truck stuffed with Nationals cash and moved to Washington. Manuel is so used to it by now he almost seems bored answering it, and he most certainly has a stock answer prepared.

"We have a lot of candidates for that," he said. "Dominic Brown is going to get to play a lot in spring training. He's a guy who's come through the minor leagues, and I had people tell me last year he was the best Double-A hitter they had ever seen. He will get chance to play a lot and make the team. We also have Ben Francisco and John Mayberry. All three of those will participate for right field and we'll see what comes out of it."

This is who it won't be: Matt Rizzotti.

"I worked out in the outfield in the instructional league my first year and played a few games out there, and that's about the end of the story," said Rizzotti, who joined Manuel, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr., Ryne Sandberg, who, in November, was named to manage the Phillies' Triple A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, and about 850 fans at the Winter Banquet.

If Rizzotti would've been able to make the adjustment from first base to outfield, maybe Manuel would've thrown him into his collection of right-field hopefuls. Maybe Rizzotti even would be considered a candidate to bat in Werth's old spot in the manager's batting order, fifth.

But Rizzotti plays first base, and you-know-who plays first base for the Phillies.

"Obviously he's being blocked by the big first baseman (Ryan Howard) who stands there right now," said Amaro.

The Phillies, though, showed their affection for Rizzotti by adding him to their 40-man protected roster after a season in which he skyrocketed through the organization - 31 games at high Class A Clearwater, 77 games at Double-A Reading and 17 games at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

He mashed 17 home runs and drove home 79 runs while batting .343 in 484 at-bats, all the things expected from a behemoth who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 240 pounds.

Except Rizzotti never had quite the season he did last year since being selected in the sixth round of the 2007 amateur draft by the Phillies, just three years after the Minnesota Twins picked him in the 46th round out of high school in Floral Park, N.Y.

"I wouldn't necessarily say I came out of nowhere," said Rizzotti, who was born on Christmas Eve 25 years ago. "I think every player has something to work on, maybe it just takes a few years to get it to fall into place. I think this year a few things fell into place. Just my hitting in general, learning to hit with two strikes and all that stuff, getting that big hit when you need it to happen."

Rizzotti knows who is blocking his path to the big leagues, but said he isn't thinking too much about that.

"I can't go out there every day in a minor-league setting and compete against a major-leaguer," he said. "That is real pressure you put on yourself that you can't top. I can't go out and beat a major-leaguer. I just go out and play and do the best I can."

Rizzotti will report to spring training with the big-league team in February, but is likely ticketed for the Lehigh Valley in April. There is a very real possibility that Phillies fans will never see him Philadelphia, unless it's in another uniform.

"You don't play this game just for one club, but for all 30 of them," said Amaro. "He's put himself into a situation where he's a real prospect."

But not a right fielder. Otherwise, maybe Manuel would have a different answer when asked the question all of Philadelphia wants answered.

Ed Kracz can be reached at 215-345-3069 or ekracz@phillyBurbs.com. Follow Ed on twitter at http://twitter.com/kracze.

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